Military, Boko Haram in bloody battle

Boko Haram fighters attacked Nigerian troops early yesterday, after two suspected suicide bombers were shot dead near military positions.
According to Army spokesperson Colonel SaniUsmanin a statement “Boko Haram terrorists attack troops of 113 Battalion at Kareto, northern Borno state.
“The troops have been battling the insurgents since the early hours of today,”Usman said.
A soldier on the battle fieldtold AFP that the troops were ordered to the town of Damasak near the border with Niger and took up position in Kareto, some 38km away.
“Today at about 06:30 (05:30 GMT), two suicide bombers approached us and we shot at them and they exploded,” he said.
“As soon as the explosives went off, there were barrages of heavy artillery fired by Boko Haram, who came in large numbers with heavy weapons.
“We took up position in our trenches and fired back but they kept firing RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades), which we didn’t have.
“We lost some men, I don’t know how many, and many others were injured. Some of us fled in disarray. We realised that we were outnumbered and outgunned”.
The troops withdrew to Jeyimolo village and a fighter jet was deployed to Kareto while a search was launched for the dead and missing, he added.
A local chief confirmed the attack but said further details were still sketchy.